Harry Potter & the Wizards of M
by Dylan Wolf
Summary: This is a substitution story. Marvel characters, mostly from the X-Men, have been substituted for the cast of Harry Potter. It has a lot of humor, but also a lot of more serious bits. More details and a cast list in the Prologue. Hope you enjoy. Comments and critiques welcome.
1. Prologue

**Prologue: "Cast and Concept"**

This is a substitution story. Marvel characters, mostly from the X-Men, have been substituted for the cast of Harry Potter. The trades and personalities are by no means exact. For example: Havok and Corsair are twins, older siblings of Scott and Rachel who are also twins. Cable is in the place of their older brother, Percy. Nathan definitely has Cable's personality, not Percy's, while Alex and Chris have more of a balance. Scott and Rachel definitely have the Marvel personalities, and Jean is Jean. Logan is Harry with Wolverine's attitude. Wanda, Lorna and Pietro are triplets; Wanda and Lorna (who are substitutes mostly for the Patil twins, but are Lensherrs in this case) are both Gryffindors. Pietro, of course, is Slytherin.

Emma Frost is a beautiful and sophisticated female Snape. Her reasons for disliking Harry stem from losing James Potter to Lily Evans and constantly seeing Lily in Harry's eyes looking out of James' face. Kingsley Shacklebolt, by the way, will be played by Sean Cassidy. The relationship w. Moira remains, making for an interesting dynamic. Professor Quirrell, of course, will be played by Professor Quirrell. I'm not replacing him. Sirius is Remy LeBeau, Remus is Jack Russell and Tonks is Domino. Fawkes will be played by the Phoenix Force and boy is it pissed. Peeves is Wade Wilson and the magical bus and its crew will be played by the A-Team because it's twisted. Edwin Jarvis, on the other hand, is on staff at Hogwarts, overseeing the kitchen and housekeeping, simply because I didn't want to do the story without him.

I found a list of Hogwarts students who were in the same class as Harry and the gang. Many of the names never really appeared in the books or movies, or if they did, it was in passing and I missed it. I'm guessing many of them existed only in Ms. Rowling's mind, imagination and notes. I still had more Marvel characters I wanted to have represented, whether I ever use them or not, so I placed them as Unnamed Potter Characters.

In most cases, where there was anything on the character's personality at all, I "TRIED" to match the Marvel character to a similar character. I didn't always succeed, of course, and when in doubt almost always leaned towards the Marvel character. To fill the first years I wanted in some Houses, I took older characters (Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff, Cho Chang from Ravenclaw and Terence Higgs, a Quidditch player from Slytherin who was barely mentioned once) and made them First Years w. Harry and company.

Some cases like the Peter Parker / Neville Longbottom and Pietro / Draco substitutions, were easy because the characters were surprisingly close in a lot of key points. Some, however, like the three prime characters, I did what I could and threw the rest out the window. Except where specifically stated otherwise (like with the Weasley, now Summers, twins where the personalities are going to be as merged as I can get them, making them pranksters, but more adventurous and swashbuckling souls than comical ones) I'll be going for more the Marvel personality tempered with the Potter one where available and practicable.

In many cases, the Potter name is merely a place holder. While I tried very hard and stretched very far to get some kind of Potterverse parallel for all of my student characters and a few of my Death Eaters have no parallel. This includes Gabriel Summers as Philip Summers' (Arthur Weasley's) black sheep brother. Finally, the Inquisition doesn't exist in Potter and is my version of Weapon X and similar groups. The names there have NO parallels to Potter characters. As for James and Lily Potter, however, I deigned to create Marvel parallels, leaving them as they were in the Potterverse.

Finally, this story is supposed to be more on the comical side, like the "A Young Avenger at Hogwarts" stories. This doesn't mean it won't have its serious moments. I'm really trying to have fun with the characters here, but some of the very sweet scenes that are coming out (as stated elsewhere my characters sometimes take over and write their own stories) a secondary theme of Comfort is developing. Whatever the outcome, and I intend to MOSTLY parallel the Potter plots, I hope you enjoy the experience.

Gryffindor First Years (By Roommates):

Harry Potter / Logan Potter

Neville Longbottom / Peter Parker

Ron Weasley / Scott Summers

Seamus Finnigan / Kurt Wagner

Dean Thomas / Steve Rogers

Kent Entwhistle / Johnny Storm (Unused Character)

Oliver Rivers / Ben Grimm (Unused Character)

Unnamed Boy / James Proudstar

Ginny Weasley / Rachel Summers

Hermione Granger / Jean Grey

Lavender Brown / Kitty Pryde

Sophie Roper / Danielle Moonstar

Padma Patil / Wanda Lensherr (New House)

Parvati Patil / Lorna Lensherr

Unnamed Girl / Clarice Ferguson

Unnamed Girl / Laura Kinney

Hufflepuff First Years (By Roommates):

Cedric Diggory / Cal Rankin (New Year)

Unnamed Boy / Doug Ramsey

Unnamed Boy / Henry McCoy

Unnamed Boy / Lucas Bishop

Ernie Macmillan / Sam Guthrie

Justin Finch-Fletchley / Bobby Drake

Unnamed Boy / Davis Cameron

Unnamed Boy / Neal Shaara

Hannah Abbott / Susan Storm

Susan Bones / Alison Blair

Unnamed Girl / Heather Cameron

Unnamed Girl / Sarah Rushman

Lily Moon / Jubilation Lee

Megan Jones / Cessily Kincaid

Sally Smith / Rahne Sinclair

Unnamed Girl / Hisako Ichiki

Ravenclaw First Years (By Roommates):

Anthony Goldstein / Tony Stark (Unused Character)

Roger Malone / Reed Richards

Terry Boot / Bruce Banner

Michael Corner / Henry Pym

Stephen Cornfoot / Stephen Strange (Unused Character)

Unnamed Boy / David Alleyne

Luna Lovegood / Megan Gwynn (New Year)

Sally Anne Perks / Theresa Cassidy (Unused Character)

Sue Li / Xian Coy Manh (Unused Character)

Cho Chang / Suzanne Chan

Unnamed Girl / Karima Shapandar

Unnamed Girl / Noriko Ashida

Slytherin First Years (By Roommates):

Draco Malfoy / Pietro Lensherr

Gregory Goyle / Fred J. Dukes (Fred "Duke" Leland)

Terence Higgs / Shiro Yoshida (New Year)

Vincent Crabbe / Jason Wyngarde

Theodore Nott / Bobby DaCosta

Unnamed Boy / Jono Starsmore

Unnamed Boy / Kevin Sydney

Unnamed Boy / Marshall Stone

Blaise Zabini / Anna Raven

Tracey Davis / Janet Van Dyne

Unnamed Girl / Monet St. Croix

Daphne Greengrass / Vanessa Carlysle

Pansy Parkinson / Elektra Natchios

Unnamed Girl / Joanna Cargill

Older Gryffindor Students:

Fred Weasley / Alex Summers

George Weasley / Christopher Summers

Oliver Wood / Warren Worthington III

Percy Weasley / Nathan Summers

Hogwarts Staff:

Edwin Jarvis

Fawkes / Phoenix Force

Filch / Forge

Madame Pince / Agatha Harkness

Madame Pomfrey / Dr. Celia Reyes

Peeves / Wade Wilson

Professor Dumbledore / Charles Xavier

Professor McGonagall / Moira MacTaggart

Professor Quirrell / Professor Quirrell

Professor Snape / Emma Frost

Professor Sprout / Ororo Monroe (Also Madame Hooch)

Professor Trelawney / Madame Webb

Rubeus Hagrid / Peter Rasputin (Daughter Illyana is three)

Death Eaters:

Alecto Carrow / Viper

Amycus Carrow / Baron Mordo

Andromeda Black / Morgan Le Fey

Antonin Dolohov / Mikhail Rasputin

Augustus Rockwood / Dr. Faustus

Avery Jr. / Helmut Zemo

Avery Sr. / Heinrich Zemo

Barty Crouch Jr. / Proteus

Bellatrix Lestrange / Selene

Crabbe Sr. / Jedidiah Killgrave

Evan Rosier / Maximus

Fenrir Greyback / Sabretooth

Gibbon / Cletus Kasady

Goyle Sr. / Harry Leland

Jugson / Otto Octavius

Lucius Malfoy / Magneto

Mulciber / Sabastian Shaw

Narcissa Malfoy / Madelyne Pryor

Rabastan Lestrange / Red Skull

Rodolphus Lestrange / Baron Strucker

Scabior / Amahl Farouk

Selwyn / Mandarin

Thorfinn Rowle / Victor VanDamme (Von Doom)

Travers / Stryfe

Unique Character / Gabriel Summers (Scott's Uncle)

Unnamed Woman / Cassandra Nova

Unnamed Woman / Enchantress

Unnamed Woman / Raven Darkholme

Voldemort / Apocalypse

Walden Macnair / Max Dillon

Wilkes / Mesmero

Wormtail / Toad

Yaxley / Mr. Sinister

Aurors

Alastor Moody / J. Jonah Jameson

Gawain Robards / Fred Duncan

John Dawlish / Frank Castle

Kingsley Shacklebolt / Sean Cassidy

Proudfoot / Valerie Cooper

Rufus Scrimgeour / Nick Fury

Savage / Domino

Unnamed Man / Danny Rand

Unnamed Man / Luke Cage

Unnamed Woman / Colleen Wing

Unnamed Woman / Jessica Drew

Unnamed Woman / Jessica Jones

Unnamed Woman / Misty Knight

Ministry of Magic:

Amelia Bones / Jennifer Walters

Barty Crouch Sr. / Robert Kelly

Cornelius Fudge / Henry Peter Gyrich

Dirk Creswell / Matt Murdock

Dolores Umbridge / Karla Sofen

Ludovic Bagman / Alexander Pierce

Millicent Bagnold / Evangeline Whedon

Pius Thicknesse / Foggy Nelson

Other Characters:

Aberforth Dumbledore / Caine Marko

Arthur Weasley / Philip Summers

Bill Weasley / NA (Bill Summers)

Charlie Weasley / NA (Charlie Summers)

Igor Karkaroff / William Baker

James Potter / NA

Lily Potter / NA

Magical Bus Crew / A-Team

Molly Weasley / Deborah Summers (Molly Summers)

Mr. Granger / John Grey

Mrs. Granger / Elaine Grey

Nymphadora Tonks / Topaz Tonks

Regulus Black / Paladin (Paul Denning)

Remus Lupin / Jack Russell

Sirius Black / Remy LeBeau

Inquisition Council

Graydon Creed

Justin Hammer

Luchino Nefaria

Lucia Von Bardas

Malcolm Colcord

Norman Osborn

Thunderbolt Ross

William Stryker

Wilson Fisk

Inquisition Scientists

Arnim Zola

Donald Pierce

Ezekiel Stane

Franklin Hall

George Tarleton

Herbert Wyndham

Kurt Conners

Mad Thinker

Samuel Sterns

Inquisition Operatives

Abomination

Bullseye

Crossbones

Kraven, the Hunter

Lady Deathstrike

Madame Masque

Omega Red

Taskmaster

Tiger Shark


	2. The Survivor

**Chapter One: "The Survivor"**

Eleven year old Logan Potter was a survivor. He survived the deaths of his parents and a death curse by the greatest dark wizard in the last century. He survived his aunt, uncle and cousin. He ran away from them at the age of six and survived on the streets for five years. He survived being hunted by the Ministry, the Muggle Police, the Death Eaters, and the wizard hunters known as the Inquisition. Yes, survivor was a good word for him. Another word would be pissed.

He was small for an eleven year old, standing a hair under five feet and very thin, but wiry. His black hair was unruly, flaring out on both sides, and he had a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. He didn't need glasses, but often wore them because they made idiots underestimate him. He weighed at least as twice what his appearance suggested given to a dense cellular structure that made his skin, muscles, tendons and joints tougher and his skeleton virtually unbreakable. He also had a phenomenal healing factor and enhanced senses; particularly scent. Finally, his curse mark made him highly resistant, even immune, to the direct effects of magic.

By the age of four, Logan, though still small, was strong and tough enough to stand up to some of the worst treatment of his relatives. His cousin, Dudley, was downright terrorized, but it was when he put his uncle in the hospital at the age of six that it was time for him to leave. By eleven, he'd traveled the world, spending the most time, a full year, in Japan where he somehow got his hands on an ancient katana that was his most prized possession.

It was also in Japan that he met a girl named Kitty Pryde when they were captured by the same ninja cult. They'd been chosen as vessels for the spirits of a pair of ancient ninjas. They eventually broke free of the spirits with some help, but kept the skills that having such spirits in their heads taught them. He returned her to her parents and hadn't seen her since.

He'd just returned to London for the first time in five years after receiving his letter of invitation to attend Hogwarts when the big Russian and the bald man in the wheelchair met him as he was leaving Heathrow.

"Logan Potter?" The bald man asked.

"Who's askin'?" Logan challenged them, naturally suspicious and considering his options and avenues of escape.

The man nodded. "I am Professor Charles Xavier, Headmaster of Hogwarts. My companion is Peter Rasputin, our groundskeeper and my personal assistant. We've been trying to find you since you left the Dursleys five years ago."

Logan shrugged. "I didn't wanna be found. I was in Germany when y'r letter reached me. Been 'round th' world in five years. Figured it was time t' settle down f'r a bit. Th' Death Eaters and th' Inquisition been dogging me since I left London. Word on th' street is they can't touch me at Hogwarts. It'd be kinda nice not t' haveta look over my shoulder all th' flamin' time."

"He is very small, sir," Peter said. "Have you been eating regularly, tovarisch?"

Logan considered the tall man and decided he liked his lack of guile. "I get by. You don't look like ya missed too many meals."

Peter laughed. "I like this one, Professor. He has attitude."

"We have much to talk about," Xavier steered them to a nearby restaurant. "If you don't mind me asking, Logan, how have you survived on your own for five years?"

"Ya set up an account f'r me at Lloyd's o' London," he told them. "I took th' card with me after I beat the snot outta my uncle, ol' fat boy. I hit it when I really needed cash. I figured out early what adults I could trust t' take a bribe t' help me out with th' stuff a kid can't do an' not take advantage. Learned how t' break into places, pick pockets, that sorta stuff when I didn't dare access th' account 'cause th' heat was on, which seemed t' be mosta th' time. I did what I hadta do."

"What about an education?" Xavier pressed.

Logan shrugged again, "Didn't get a lotta formal schoolin' but that don't mean I'm dumb. Learned what I needed on my own. I read a lot an' I speak English, Japanese, Russian, German an' French. I'm decent at math and always liked readin' 'bout history and stuff. I may not know as much as some kids my age, but like I said, I get by."

He paused. "If ya mean learnin' 'bout th' magic stuff; not a lot. I've known 'bout it since I beat th' truth outta Vernon an' I stole whatever books I could off o' th' Dead Boys who got too close. Broke into a few o' their homes when I had th' chance, too. Even stole their wands, but couldn't do much with 'em. Did manage t' steal an invisibility cloak some time back. That's been pretty useful; so was th' broom I had 'til I wiped out a few months back; last time Moldyshorts' pet werewolf, Creed, got on my trail. He was a li'l too close f'r comfort, but I still managed t' ditch him even without th' broom."

Both men were in shock, but it was Peter who found his voice first. "You faced Victor Creed and survived?"

"I'm here, ain't I?" Logan laughed. "Faced is too strong of a word, though. I did a lot more runnin' from Death Eaters 'n I did fightin' 'em. They're adults an' trained an' I'm an untrained kid, after all. I've hadta run from more 'n a few Death Eaters over th' years; particularly from Creed, who's darned near killed me an' left me f'r dead least twice. Don't get me wrong, I know how t' fight. I'm pretty good at it, matter o' fact. Good enough t' hold my own against some adults. Th' trick is knowin' when t' fight, when t' hide an' when t' run. When Creed shows up, I run."

"Has he ever bit you?" Xavier seemed concerned.

"Bit me, cut me, beat me to a pulp, you name it." Logan quickly figured out what the man was getting at. "He really enjoys his work. Don't mean I'm infected. My healin' factor takes care o' that, an' th' curse mark makes me pretty much immune t' most magic."

"What did you do for shelter?" This came from Peter.

"Stayed in a lotta hotels when I could. Slept under bridges an' in parks when I hadta. Sometimes I found folks who'd give me a place t' stay f'r a few weeks. I was alone f'r th' first year. Then my godfather an' some friends found me in New Orleans."

Xavier was surprised. "Remy found you four years ago?"

"Yeah. Who d'ya think taught me 'bout th' magical community an' how t' find it?"

"Why didn't he bring you back to London where you could be safe?" Xavier's displeasure was clear.

"What do ya consider safe?" Logan matched him and even exceeded him. "Th' Dursley's?"

Xavier didn't back down. "You were safe from the Death Eaters there."

"Yeah," Logan wasn't backing down either. "Wasn't safe from them, though. Did ya know they made me sleep in a cupboard? That they used me as slave labor? That they locked me in there for days if I broke th' rules. No thanks."

Xavier was shocked. "We had no idea?"

Logan didn't cut him any slack. "Ya didn't wanna know. Ya just wanted me outta th' way 'til I was old enough t' go t' that school o' y'rs."

"Remy didn't tell you that?" Xavier shook his head sadly.

"He didn't need to." Logan was still pretty pissed. "I figured it out all on my own."

"You're wrong." Xavier's response was adamant, but no longer showed any displeasure. "When your parents died, we had no way to protect you. We believed Voldemort was dead, but the Death Eaters were if anything even more determined to kill you . . . and anyone who tried to protect you. We also knew that the Inquisition was aware of your existence."

He shook his head at the memory. "Your godfather was suspected of betraying your parents. He was later proven innocent, but he still used an unforgiven curse to kill the real culprit, Peter Pettigrew. He was under a cloud. The Ministry wasn't going to allow him to have custody of you and as much as we'd have liked to ignore them, we couldn't. Being a werewolf, Jack Russell, the only other person your parents would have wanted to raise you, was even more unacceptable; to the Ministry, not to me. Your godmother was killed in the war against Voldemort."

He paused. "The Dursleys were our only option at the time and we couldn't afford to wait until another one opened up. Because of Petunia's blood relation to you, I was able to put a ward up that completely protected you as long as you lived in her house. I believed that her love for your mother would carry over to you."

"She didn't love my mother." Logan spat back at the older man. "She told me my parents died in a car wreck while drunk; that it was their fault. She called my mother every terrible thing she could think of every chance she got and called my father even worse. She never said a single good thing about either of 'em. She hated anythin' t' do with magic. Did ya know they punished me anytime accidental magic went off t' protect me; like it was my fault or I could control it? She hated me. They all did."

"She knew there would be repercussions if she failed you." Xavier's eyes blazed with a rage that was not directed at Logan. "I wanted to look in on you personally, to make sure you were being cared for, but I was watched too closely, by your enemies and by the Ministry who wanted custody of you so they could control the narrative they were trying to set up. Wards or not, I couldn't dare risk exposing you. I had agents watching you, but they weren't in the house and to the outside world, everything seemed okay."

A great sadness overcame him. "I failed you, Logan. For that I'll never forgive myself. In the very least, they've paid a great price in the years since you left."

Logan perked up. "They have?"

"They violated the strictures of the wards I put on that house," Xavier told him. "They must not have believed the warnings I gave them. Shortly after you left, the house burned down. Vernon was killed. Dudley was badly injured. The cause was determined to be negligence. Dudley's medical bills bankrupted them. They never recovered. Petunia committed suicide two years ago. Your cousin is in a long term care facility for children in Manchester, where he'll remain until he turns seventeen and is moved to an adult facility."

Logan blinked several times. He'd dreamed about the Dursleys getting their comeuppance more times than he could count, but this was far beyond the pale.

"I know my folks left me a lotta money," he said finally, "and Remy helped me set up bank accounts all over th' world before he had t' take off."

Peter coughed. "You mean he did not stay with you once he found you? Why would a man leave a young boy he was responsible for on his own?"

"He didn't have much choice," Logan told them. "'Bout a year back, he found out how th' Death Eaters kept findin' us. As hard as they were lookin' f'r me, they kept findin' us by trackin' him an' th' others; some kinda sympathetic magic, he said. They figured stayin' with me just put me in more danger. Before that, we'd settle somewhere, someone'd come lookin', we'd haveta split up an' run, then we'd get back t'gether at some pre-arranged place when things cooled down; usually days t' weeks. I already knew how t' take care o' myself, so it wasn't too bad."

He paused. "I almost always found somewhere safe t' stay sooner or later. I even lived with a Death Eater named Wilkes f'r a month; big on illusion magic an' mind control. Ran into him in Los Angeles, Hollywood, actually, where he was hidin' an' workin' f'r some special effects company. He thought he could convert me. Gave me a chance t' study him. Learned a lot 'bout the Death Eaters an' how they work. Didn't care f'r him much. Stole some really rare books when Remy caught up with me. Sold 'em f'r a pretty penny when I was through with 'em. Paid f'r our trip t' Hawaii, then t' Japan."

He paused, reminiscing. "F'r some reason, th' Death Eaters couldn't follow us there. Things were actually startin' t' look pretty good, 'til the Inquisition caught up t' us, an' we had t' run again. That's how my life's been. I settle in somewhere, then someone comes lookin' f'r me. I dodge 'em long as I can, fightin' when I gotta, but sooner 'r later, I gotta run; move on t' the next place an' start all over again. Lived in near fifty cities 'round t' world since I left th' Dursleys."

"Your vocabulary may be rough, my boy," Xavier announced, "and your life has been hard, but you're no ignorant child. I sense in you a canny and cunning mind, and a great curiosity, as well as great bravery. You will do well at Hogwarts. Might I ask, however, why did you mention your inheritance after you heard what happened to your relatives?"

"What happened wasn't Dudley's fault." Logan shrugged. "He was a jerk, but that's just 'cuz o' th' way his folks raised him. I wanna set up some kinda trust t' take care o' him."

"Great compassion as well," Dumbledore smiled, surprised and pleased at the boy's reaction. "We'll take care of it. The question now is how we take care of you until school starts."

Logan still wasn't happy. "I c'n take care o' myself. A whole lotta help you and your aurors were th' first six years o' my life. Ya let my folks get killed an' left me with those . . . people. Why d'ya think I always disappeared when the aurors showed up? I wasn't sure I wanted any o' y'r help. Figured I was best off on my own. Then I got th' letter an' remembered all th' stuff Remy told me 'bout you. Figured it couldn't hurt t' give ya a second chance. Blow it, though, an' I'm in th' wind."

He sighed, then relaxed a little. "So, whattcha got in mind?"

"There's still just over a month until classes start," Xavier told him. "I have some necessary business to take care of at the Ministry, so I'll have Peter take you to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies. I know a family who were friends of your parents. They have three boys currently attending Hogwarts, two already graduated and their youngest boy and only daughter will be in the same class with you. I'm sure they'll be all too happy to put you up for a month. We'll put some wards on the house to keep you safe and have some aurors and other trusted friends keep an eye on you until you can board the train to Hogwarts on the first Monday of September."

Logan grunted. "Sounds like ya got it all figured out. Cool. Guess I c'n go with th' flow f'r now."

Outside the restaurant where the three had lunch, as Peter and Logan exited after Xavier bid his farewells, a massive double decker bus, painted black with a bright red wave stripe, was already waiting for them. A large black man with way too much jewelry and wearing a pair of overalls was tweaking the bus engine in back and complaining to the driver up front.

"Blast it, Murdoch," the big man growled. "I told ya t' be more careful. This bus is old an' it's seen better days. Now, I'm gonna haveta rebuild the carburetor tonight."

"I didn't do it, B.A." The driver poked his head out the door, wearing a cap and a leather jacket. "I told ya, the bus has a mind of her own and she likes to take things fast and wild. By the way, she doesn't like it when you insult her like that."

"Don't give me none o' your crazy talk. Just be careful."

A tall white haired man with a cigar peeked out the door as the driver ducked back in. "Word is you folks need a ride. Thanks for choosing A-Team bus services. This way."

The inside of the bus, of course, was much larger than the outside. It had several recliners and easy chairs in the front quarter and two rows of four poster beds filled the rest of the cabin. There were several passengers both in chairs and beds."

Once Logan and Hagrid found seats and the mechanic, B.A., boarded, the driver took off at break neck speed as the shrunken head hanging from the driver's mirror offered some advice. "Better hold on. It's going to be a bumpy ride."

As the bus did a ninety degree turn, the head bounced. "I can't believe I'm reduced to this. I need to call my agent. Did you know they had a girl replace me on the other line? There has to be something I can do. I know people."

Several minutes and a bizarre ride later, including a moment where they squeezed the bus through a less than three foot gap between two other buses, they arrived in a slightly run down section of London and were dropped off outside a pub that had the sign "Leaky Cauldron".

"Hope you enjoyed your ride," the conductor said, flicking ashes from his cigar into the street.

"Been on worse," Logan told him, cracking his neck and looking around.

The man beamed. "I love it when a ride comes together."

"Oh, no," the mechanic growled from inside. "Hannibal's on the jazz again."

Peter took Logan into the pub where he was greeted by several people who seemed to know who he was. Word in the magical community, apparently, spread even faster than word in the muggle world. One of the people who greeted Logan a little too ebulliently was introduced as Professor Quirrell, a professor at Hogwarts who would be teaching Defense against the Dark Arts. The man was thin, weak chinned and skittish. He wore a purple turban and smelled of garlic. Something about him set Logan's teeth on edge and he was quite glad to be free of him.

"If he's an example o' th' kinda teachers ya got at Hogwarts," Logan told Peter as they exited the pub through the back wall and entered Diagon Alley proper, "I ain't very impressed."

"Don't sell Professor Quirrell short, Logan," Peter warned him. "He may not look like much, but he's an expert on both Muggle Studies and Defense against the Dark Arts. You will learn much from him if you permit it."

Logan shrugged and didn't say anything more as they climbed a flight of marble steps and entered Gringott's Bank. When Peter went off to take care of some school business, he left Logan in the care of a goblin named Griphook, who took him down to his family vault. Now, Remy had told Logan about the money his parents left for him, but Logan hadn't even dreamed of what he saw when he entered.

"This all mine?" He asked the goblin, trying not to sound like he was awed by the sight.

"Of course it is." Griphook told him professionally, but with all the warmth of a blizzard in Fairbanks, Alaska. "You're the sole surviving Potter heir. There are a handful of distant cousins, but they have no claim on it unless you were to die without producing an heir of your own."

Logan nodded and spent the next few minutes strolling through the massive chamber. Coins and bars, mostly gold, were piled in several small mountains towards the front. Back behind them there were more personal items; jewelry, paintings, statues, furniture, trunks of clothes and odds and ends. Somewhere in the mix, Logan found an old backpack advertising a Quidditch team he didn't recognize. He filled the main pocket, which was a lot larger than it seemed with several photo albums he found. The largest of the three side pockets he loaded with some galleons. The other two he loaded with sickles and knuts respectively. Even filled, the bag was surprisingly light. Then he returned to where Griphook was waiting to return him to the bank proper.

"I got a list o' banks, account numbers an' passwords. Also access info on some security boxes I got th' keys for. I want all that stuff transferred here. C'n ya do that."

The goblin nodded as images of wealth were reflected in his eyes. "That can be arranged for a nominal fee."

Logan nodded and produced several pieces of folded paper and a ring of keys from an inside pocket. "They're spread all over th' world, but I ain't plannin' on doin' nearly as much movin' around f'r the next seven years 'r so. Figure I might as well consolidate everythin' in one place since I'm gonna be hangin' 'round."

Griphook looked through the list, which covered both sides of five sheets of notebook paper. "This will take some time; require electronic transfers to a muggle bank we deal with; some bonded couriers from the various magical communities around the world to transport the contents of the boxes."

Logan laughed. "Ain't expectin' it yesterday. Got all th' time in th' world. Figure out th' cost an' send an itemized list t' Albus Dumbledore at Hogwarts. He has t' clear any charges."

"It will be done," Griphook promised.

"While y'r at it, I'd like an itemized list o' my holdin's."

"We offer that service as a courtesy to hour premier customers like your family." Griphook didn't feel curious that often, but this boy intrigued him. "You seem to know a lot more about financial matters than most humans of your age."

"I learned th' hard way," Logan told the goblin, "after gettin' taken one too many times. No one's ever doin' that t' me again."

Griphook wasn't sure if he heard an implied threat in that declaration or not, but decided to assume not.

A few minutes and a wild ride later, Logan rejoined Peter and they left the bank to deal with Logan's shopping needs. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions would be their first and last stop; first for the fitting and last to pick up the finished robes. On the first visit, when Peter left to get a little something for his daughter, Illyana, in the toy store next door, Logan ran into a white haired boy about his age. Something about the kid seemed strangely familiar, but Logan couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Looking at Logan in his battered Stetson, worn leather jacket, checkered shirt, western belt buckle, jeans and cowboy boots, the boy sneered. "And what do we have here, some reject from an American western or something?"

Logan rankled, but controlled it. This wasn't the first time he'd run into this kind of attitude. "An' you gotta be some kinda reject from Downton Abbey 'r somethin'. Big deal. Ya might wanna curb y'r attitude 'fore it gets ya a fat lip 'r worse. What's y'r name anyway, kid? There's somethin' familiar 'bout you, but I can't put my finger on it."

The boy rankled at the insult. "My name's Pietro Lensherr. I doubt a piece of gutter trash like you would be a match for me."

Pietro ran circles around Logan, poking and shoving him from all angles. Then however, Logan shoved his arm out when Pietro wasn't expecting it and clotheslined the boy. Pietro flipped three hundred and sixty degrees and landed on his face on the floor. His unparalleled reaction time barely saved him from a greater injury.

Logan knelt, putting his knee in Pietro's back. "You related to Erik Lensherr?"

"He's my father." Pietro struggled futilely to get away.

Logan didn't move. "Before ya start a fight ya can't win, ya oughtta ask y'r father why he hadta get a new wand a couple years back. Ask him if his shoulder still hurts when it gets cold. Ask him why he started wearin' body armor. He thought he was bad stuff; a real dangerous man 'til he got th' crap beat outta him by an eight year old kid."

Logan lowered his right hand to where Pietro could see it and popped his claws, which were smooth, very dense, razor sharp bone. "In case y'r wonderin', these claws put the holes in his shoulder."

Only then did he stand up and step back, letting a now more circumspect Pietro regain his feet.

"You're lying," Pietro growled.

"Then how'd I know all that stuff," Logan countered.

Pietro didn't have a response to that and was secretly glad when Madame Malkin came out from the back to do Logan's fitting. Having already been fitted himself, Pietro decided that discretion was the better part of valor and left. His mother had gone ahead to Flourish and Blotts, and was waiting for him. They had other stores to visit. He'd return for his robes later.

As Pietro left and Peter returned, Logan figured that if he was lucky he wouldn't run into the kid again. At least not before they arrived at Hogwarts. He didn't tell Pietro how much of the fight with his father three years earlier came down to blind luck and the elder Lensherr's hubris.

After the fitting, most of the rest of the trip was a blur. Potage's Cauldron Shop, Flourish & Blotts Book Store, Slug and Jiggers Apothecary and Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment flowed one into the next with Logan not having a moment to think. The whole time, he purchased just what he needed and didn't waste even a knut frivolously until they stopped for a snack at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour at the far end of the street. Even then he proved to be surprisingly frugal for an eleven year old boy.

As they sat down with their sundaes, Peter broached the subject. "This is the first thing this day that you've purchased just for yourself; the first thing that wasn't on the list."

"Simple needs, Petey." He stuck out a foot and nudged the bag that he'd had with him since the baggage claim at Heathrow. "Ownin' too much stuff just ties ya down. Lived th' last five years knowin' I could haveta pull up stakes at a moment's notice. Other'n some food, th' clothes on my back an' a place t' sleep, I don't need nothin' that won't fit into this old duffle bag."

If Peter was put off by the familiarity, he didn't show it. "Then, it is more than time that you experienced what it means to be an eleven year old boy. At Hogwarts, all students are encouraged to have a pet. Owls, cats, rats and toads are all allowed. Now, toads are a bit old fashioned, and rats or cats aren't worth much, but an owl, now there is an animal that will earn its keep."

He paused. "Your eleventh birthday is in two days. I will buy you an owl for a gift. I also insist that you choose one additional item and purchase it simply because you wish to. Being frugal is a good thing, but you cannot permit yourself to forget to live."

"You don't need t' buy me nothin'." Logan insisted.

"If I was required to buy it, comrade, it wouldn't be a gift," Peter countered with the most genuine smile Logan had seen in a very long time.

He finally shrugged and let the matter drop. Later, at Eeylops Owl Emporium, he met a snowy white owl that seemed to like him. Peter was surprised at how quickly the two bonded, but Logan wasn't. "Me an' animals got an' understandin'. Gambit thinks it's a side effect o' my powers.

At Ollivander's Wand Shop later, Mr. Ollivander was surprised that he couldn't sneak up on Logan.

"Y'r good," Logan told him, "but ya can't fool my senses. I smelled ya 'fore I even heard ya."

"Most interesting." The man's smile, while not false wasn't as pure as Peter's. "Now which is your wand hand."

"I'm ambidextrous," Logan told him. "Favor my right hand just a little, though."

"Excellent."

Ollivander took several measurements that made no sense to Logan, then produced several wands for him to test. The first few produced on results and were no more than an inanimate piece of wood in his hand. Finally, however, Ollivander hit upon an idea, going into the very back of his shop and returning with a dusty box.

"Holly with a phoenix feather," he announced. "Pliable, but neither swishy nor stiff. Very good for dueling and for defense."

As soon as Logan's hand touched the wand, everyone knew it was THE one for him. Energy flared around him. His hair stood out with static. He and the wand both began to glow faintly. It was a strong connection.

Ollivander nodded. "I should have known. The phoenix that donated the feather for that wand only donated one other. It went into a yew wand; a very famous one; a very infamous one. I expect great things from you with that wand, Mr. Potter. Its twin was legendary."

Leaving Ollivander's, they passed by Quality Quidditch Supplies, which had the latest in brooms on display, a Nimbus 2000. On a whim, Logan decided to duck in and have a look. There were a lot of odds and ends in the shop, but nothing exactly caught Logan's eye. Then the owner glimpsed the backpack and gasped.

"Can it be? A Helmsdale Highlanders backpack. Young man, do you know what you have there?"

Logan considered the man. "Assume I don't."

"The Highlanders were the greatest failed team in Quidditch history," the man gushed. "They only played two seasons before scandal and financial woes forced them to fold, but were the only team to make it to the Quidditch Cup in their premiere season. There were only a few thousand of them produced and they were only available at their one Cup game. It's one of the rarest collector's item in the sport. Only a handful of these bags still exist, much less in such good condition."

Logan laughed. "Guess sittin' in a vault f'r more'n ten years helped preserve it. What's it worth?"

The man was shocked. "You would be willing to part with it?"

Logan shrugged. "I only found it 'bout an hour ago an' I never even heard o' the Helmsdale Highlanders before. I know th' teams that 'r playin' now, like th' local Chudley Cannons an' my favorite team, th' Arizona Thunderbirds from America, but I ain't got no attachment to this thing. Ain't sayin' I'm willin' to sell it. Just that I'd like t' know what it's worth."

"To the right customer," the man admitted, "it could be worth a great deal; more than I could afford to give you for it."

Logan smiled. "What if I gave it to you to sell on consignment?"

"I've done that before." The man brightened. "My standard deal is thirty percent of the purchase as an agency fee."

Logan could hear the man's heart beating and was pretty sure he was lying. "That so? Wonder what another dealer'd tell me. Thirty seems a bit high. You wouldn't be tryin' t' take advantage of th' kid, now, wouldja?"

The man blinked nervously. "Given that it's such a unique item, I could be willing to go as low as twenty percent."

Logan smiled. "That sounds better, but since ya tried t' rip me off in th' first place, how 'bout we say ten or I take my business somewhere else."

He turned to Peter. "Mr. Rasputin, know any sports memorabilia dealers?"

Peter was enjoying the exchange. "I know a few. I would be happy to . . . ."

"No," the dealer interrupted. "Ten percent would be acceptable. You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Potter."

"I don't like gettin' ripped off." Logan growled. "I'm gonna need a new backpack. Ya got one f'r th' Arizona Thunderbirds?"

A few minutes later, Logan left the store with a new backpack and a promise that his share of the sale would be deposited in his family's vault. "Satisfied? I got somethin' all f'r myself."

Before Peter could answer, however, Logan stopped in his tracks staring at the display window of a store called Millicent's Magnificent Muggle Marvels where an old autographed acoustic guitar was sitting. Without a word, he went into the store. Curious, Peter didn't interfere, but watched the boy carefully. This was a new layer of the onion that was Logan Potter.

"Can I see the guitar in the display?" Logan asked the proprietress.

She retrieved the item. "It is an interesting piece. Too bad it doesn't play itself."

"What's th' fun in that?" Logan scoffed as he took a seat with the instrument.

The guitar had obviously been on display for a while and the strings were old, but they had been strung loose and weren't stretched. He quickly tightened them and tuned the guitar by ear.

"Where did you learn to play, Logan?" Peter asked as the woman moved on to help another customer, keeping only a casual eye on them.

"Gambit and I settled in Nashville for a while and I got interested. I took some lessons. After that, I played whenever I could get my hands on a guitar. Even traveled with one when I could, but had to leave more 'n a few of 'em behind when I had to bug out on no notice. Mostly taught myself t' play."

He played a few riffs then, satisfied with the quality, called the woman over. "A few questions. Got a case f'r this thing? Is th' autograph on it authentic? How much?"

She did have a case, but didn't know anything about the autograph and quoted Logan what he considered a high, but still reasonable price. He paid the money without haggling.

"I am pleased to see you buy something just for yourself," Peter told him. "It is not good for a boy to have nothing of his own. You play very well, by the way."

"Thanks." Logan smiled. "But I never said I had nothin'."

Back in Madame Malkin's, waiting for the robes, Logan put the backpack and guitar case aside and opened the duffle bag, producing an antique katana. "Picked this up in Japan. Never go anywhere without it if I c'n avoid it. Saved my life more'n once. Took th' life of a few Death Eaters and Inquisitors, too."

Once again bemoaning the loss of this young boy's childhood and innocence, Peter changed the subject as Logan put the katana away. "The autograph on the guitar. You seemed to recognize it. Who is this Johnny Cash?"

It was late afternoon when Peter dropped Logan off at the Burrow, the home of the extensive Summers clan. Molly Summers, a woman with a heart big enough to encompass the whole world, took to the boy immediately, much to his chagrin and discomfort, but also to his pleasant surprise. In all his travels, he'd never met anyone quite like her before. For that matter, he'd never met anyone quite like this family before. He quickly realized that this was what a family was.

"You'll be rooming with Scott," Molly told him. "He and Rachel are the same age as you. He got our second boy's old room when Charlie moved out on his own."

Scott Summers was slightly tall for an eleven year old, but almost as thin as Logan was. He was a serious young man who had to wear sunglasses all the time because his individual gift was uncontrollable due to head trauma from a flying carpet accident.

A Quidditch fan, Scott immediately noticed Logan's backpack. "You a Thunderbirds fan? I saw them play the Chudley Cannons last year. Not bad for a bunch of Americans."

"I caught a couple of their home games when I lived in Arizona," Logan told him. "I guess they kinda grew on me. Not a fanatic or anythin' but I do enjoy th' game."

Scott nodded. "Come on. Let me show you my room. You can stash your stuff."

As he led his new roommate through the meandering halls, Scott continued. "So, what position would you play?"

"Don't know," Logan admitted. "Never really considered it. My father was a seeker. He led the Gryffindor team to the Quidditch cup all six years he played at Hogwarts. Gambit, that's my godfather, Remy's, nickname, swears Dad could have gone pro if he hadn't been wrapped up in the war against Voldemort."

Scott blinked. "Don't often meet someone who's not afraid to say that name."

Logan shrugged. "What's t' worry 'bout? He's dead."

When he looked around the room he'd be sharing for the next month, Logan began to understand Scott a lot better. The room was clean and organized; not in an obsessive way, or in a clean freak way, but in a control freak way. Gambit taught him how to tell the difference and what it meant about the person.

"You don't snore or anything, do you?" Scott asked as Logan took in the Chudley Cannons posters that lined the walls with various players flying in and out of the scene and mugging for the shot.

"No," Logan admitted. "I do get nightmares some nights. Not so much lately, but still. They're pretty bad when they happen. Best just t' stay away from me f'r a few when I first wake up."

"What are the nightmares about?" Scott asked a little undiplomatically.

"You're cheeky." Logan laughed accusingly, but still answered. "'Bout a lotta stuff really: th' night my parents were murdered, a mess I got myself into in Japan, Victor Creed chasin' me, Death Eaters, Inquisitors, my damned Aunt an' Uncle, bein' helpless. Been through a lotta stuff that'd give anyone nightmares."

He shrugged. "Like I said, ain't had one in a while; maybe 'cuz I decided t' quit runnin' an' settle down. Don't know. Ain't askin. Just happy 'bout it."

With that, Scott let the matter drop and they moved on to other subjects, like Logan's sword.

"Wicked!" Scott reacted when Logan pulled the weapon from his duffle bag. "Is it real?"

"Yeah," Logan said. "And no, ya can't touch it. It ain't a toy. It's a tool t' defend y'rself with an' when ya gotta, kill people with. Before ya ask, I've hadta do both an' I don't wanna talk 'bout it. Sorry. Don't mean t' be pissy. It's just . . . th' sword has a lotta memories; both good an' bad.

"It's cool," Scott assured him.

Later that night, after a delicious dinner and after everyone had gone to bed, Logan made his way out to the back porch. He had his guitar with him, but left it in the case as he sat down in the porch swing. The springs groaned a bit, but he didn't think it would be enough to wake anyone. He just couldn't sleep; too much on his mind. This was a big change for an eleven year old who had spent the last five years on the road.

"Didn't mean t' wake ya." He said, still staring out into the night, as he sensed Molly Summers standing quietly at the kitchen door.

"It's okay." She stepped out and joined him on the swing, wearing a robe and having a blanket draped over her shoulder. "Isn't it a little late for you to be up?"

"Couldn't sleep."

"A lot on your mind?" She had a talent for getting people to confide in her. If she hadn't chosen to be a stay at home wife and mother, she would have made a great therapist or counselor.

"Ya might say that," he relented. "Been on th' run since I was six. Sometimes with Gambit; sometimes with other folks, but a lotta times on my own. It's all I know. Now, I'm leavin' it all behind an' settlin' down. F'r the next seven years, Hogwarts' gonna be my home. Takes some gettin' usedta."

"Sounds to me like it would be a welcome change." Honest sympathy poured out of her like a comforting wave.

"Don't know." He shrugged and admitted. "It's pretty scary. Out there, I know how t' survive. How do I survive in a school? Whatta I got in common with any other kid my age?"

Molly cut immediately to the crux of the matter that Logan was avoiding. "Don't you think you deserve a normal life; to be just another kid, instead of the 'boy that lived''; to have at least something resembling a normal life?"

Logan laughed a little bitterly. "What would I know 'bout normal? T' me, it's just a settin' on a clothes dryer."

"Maybe you should try it," Molly suggested. "I know this family's a mess, but for all that, we're pretty normal. Be careful of anything Alex or Chris say, they're idea of normal tends to be a bit skewed, but I think Scott and Rachel would love to help you learn what it's like."

She paused. "What's been done to you, Logan, is unforgivable, but none of it is your fault. Others failed you and you paid the price. That doesn't mean you deserved it. You're a sweet child; you try to hide it with that tough as leather exterior, but I can sense it in you. You're smart, wise far beyond your years, compassionate despite everything you've been through that could and should have jaded you and incredibly brave. You'd be a boy any mother worth the name would love to have as a son."

She put an arm around his shoulder and he let her pull him into her. If felt good; better than he could ever have imagined.

"You said that Hogwarts was going to be your home for the next seven years," she continued. "Our little place isn't much compared to that, but I'd love it if you considered this house home as well. I knew your parents Logan; particularly your mother. Philip and I were several years ahead of them, but Lily Evans made an impression on everyone she met. I considered her a friend and I know she'd want me to welcome you into my family."

Logan didn't quite cry. He hadn't done that since he was four or five. He did get a lump in his throat, however, and let this wonderful stranger hold him like a mother would her child. For the first time in longer than he could remember, Logan let his guard down. If felt good. Better than he could have ever dreamed. He fell asleep leaning on Molly; completely safe for the first time in his tragic young life.

 **Writer's Notes:**

 **I'm having an interesting challenge merging Logan's attitude with the fact that Logan Potter is still an eleven year old boy; a world weary boy, but still a boy. The same is true with Scott and will be true when I introduce Jean in Chapter Three. With Scott and Jean above all others, I'm going almost exclusively with the Marvel personalities, but now in the bodies of a pair of eleven year olds with only sprinkling flavor bits of Ron and Hermione, like Scott's bright red hair and love of the Cannons Quidditch team, and Jean's love of learning for the sake of learning and obsession with grades. There are a lot of reasons for this, but mainly it comes down to the fact that I wanted the characters in those roles and they had very little crossover with the characters they were replacing.**

 **I should note that I intend to have Logan's relationship with Scott be closer to Harry's relationship with Ron. They meet a lot younger in this story than they did in Marvel. They're the same age; a more impressionable age. I see them as complementing each other in a lot of ways, with Scott curbing some of Logan's anger and attitude, and Logan helping Scott be more spontaneous and comfortable in his own skin. I believe it will make an interesting dynamic.**

 **Since Scott's father in Marvel is his brother in this story, it only made sense to put his grandparents, Philip and Deborah, in the roles of Arthur and Molly Weasley. I kept the Molly name for the mother. Since little is known about Deborah, I went mostly with the Molly personality, which I really love. A little more is known about Philip, like the fact that he was a bush pilot. I think I found an interesting way to integrate that background into the story, as well as my version of the incident that left Scott with the head trauma that leaves him unable to control his eyebeams. I'll also be keeping the names Bill and Charlie for already grown brothers of the family.**

 **I went through a lot of possibilities before I decided to use Gambit for the Sirius role, particularly since Rogue is a First Year Slytherin, but it just worked so well. The same is true for Jack Russell (Werewolf by Night) in Remus Lupin's role. Since Jack has a girlfriend named Topaz who is a powerful witch, she will fill the Tonks role. Personality-wise, I'll be going with Gambit, although I see Sirius as not being all that different, at least before he went to prison, something the character in this story avoided. I'll be going more with the Remus and Tonks personalities, however, than the Jack and Topaz ones.**

 **Any reader of my "A Young Avenger at Hogwarts" story will likely recall the bit I had about Wolverine playing the guitar. On a whim, I decided to add it here. I don't know if I'll go anywhere with it, but we'll see. At the moment, it's just a character enrichment bit, something he does to calm himself down and help himself focus.**

 **Regarding the lack of Scabbers in the story, Peter (I'll be using that name instead of Mortimer Toynbee) did escape by slipping into his animagus form (a toad instead of a rat) and vanishing. He didn't stay in that form for over a decade. He's been laying low, but not THAT low. I'll also be using the Ray Park version of Toad; still a sycophant, but more than able to kick butt when necessary. I don't see the Death Eaters keeping him around if he was as pathetic as Peter in the books or Toad in the original comics.**

 **I particularly like the pseudo mother-son relationship I see forming between Molly and Logan. Since Deborah Summers wasn't a mutant, I didn't have any special powers to give her, so I decided on empathy; something both women had in spades. Again, it'll be interesting to see how it develops. I mean, it's not like I have any direction in this thing other than loosely following the plot of the Sorcerer's Stone.**

 **Finally, the matter of Kitty Pryde. I reference her in this chapter and introduce her next chapter. She fills the role of Lavender Brown, but she's going to be a lot more than that. Kitty and Logan have a history that parallels Marvel. When they encountered Ogun, they were both kids and both targeted for possession; Logan by Ogun and Kitty by another spirit named Yukio. They each got an antique katana from the experience, as well as a list of skills it should have taken them a lifetime to develop. Since their classmates, I also intend their relationship to be a lot closer and more even than it ever could be in the comics.**


	3. What Is Normal?

**Chapter Two: "What Is Normal?"**

Logan woke suddenly to find himself tucked into a warm bed. He was wearing pajamas that were too long on him, but had the cuffs rolled up.

"Mom says you fell asleep out on the porch," Scott told him. "She brought you in here and put you in a pair of my pajamas. She says she's taking you shopping for clothes, so get ready for a long day and get a good breakfast. Mom could get a gold medal in shopping."

Logan raised an eyebrow at the Olympics reference, but Scott caught it. "What? Just because we don't know a lot about muggle technology and stuff doesn't mean we're completely isolated. I just wish the Olympics had Quidditch. Now that would be a great medal to get."

Logan nodded and got up. "Guess I better get my butt outta bed an' get cleaned up, then. She plannin' t' take me back t' Diagon Alley?"

"Where else?" Scott pulled on a shirt. "She says you need pants, shirts, shoes underwear, pajamas, even a robe. She looked through your duffle bag last night. She was trying to find your pajamas."

A part of Logan wanted to be angry at the intrusion, but he found he couldn't blame her. She did have an authentic reason for it, after all. "Lucky I got plenty o' money outta Gringott's, then. I ain't worn pajamas since I was a kid an' I ain't had more'n a couple changes o' anythin' 'cuz I hadta travel light."

Fifteen minutes later, the boys joined the rest of the family around the breakfast table. It was then that Logan realized he had yet to meet the family's father. He wanted to ask, but wasn't sure how to broach the subject, then Molly saved him from having to.

"I talked to your father this morning, children," she announced. "He'll be in early; maybe even in time for dinner."

The kids all seemed happy to hear this, so Logan decided it was safe to ask. "What does Mr. Summers do?"

"He's a pilot," Molly told him proudly. "He flies carpets for the ministry; carrying messages, supplies and dignitaries all over the world. It takes him away a little too often, but it's a good job and supports this family very well."

"I flew a carpet once," Logan said. "Just a small one in the Middle East. I prefer brooms."

"They let a little boy fly a carpet?" Molly was surprised.

Logan laughed. "Let is too strong a word f'r it, ma'am. I didn't exactly give 'em a choice. Had a couple Inquisitors on my tail an' th' carpet was what was available. I'd seen my godfather, Remy, fly one, so I had an idea how t' do it. Those things aren't easy, let me tell ya. Wasn't th' best flight, but I got away from 'em, so I guess I did okay. Never wanna do it again, that's f'r sure. I'll stick t' brooms, thanks . . . though Gambit did have a flyin' motorcycle that was a lotta fun. Never drove it myself, of course."

"A flying motorcycle?" Several of the kids reacted. "Wicked!"

Molly turned directly to the elder twins. "Don't even think it."

From Alex and Chris' reactions, they had been doing precisely that, so Logan apologized. "Didn't mean t' give anyone ideas."

"Don't worry about it, Logan," Mrs. Summers assured him with a stern glance at the pair. "Those two don't need encouragement to get into trouble, they find it naturally."

"Why mother," Alex began.

"You find the nicest ways to compliment us," Chris finished.

"Hush you two," she scolded, trying not to laugh herself as Scott and Rachel giggled and their serious older brother, Nathan at least gave them a rare and hard earned near smile.

"Okay." Molly regained her normally unflappable sense of decorum. "Everyone gather your things and your letters. I'm taking Logan to shop for clothes, so we might as well make a day of it and get all of you your school things while we're at it."

There were several sighs, groans and rolled eyes around the table, but all five kids quickly finished eating, gathered themselves up and got ready to go. Logan figured they all had plans for the day with their mother distracted, but knew better than to argue once she made a decision.

"Have you ever used the floo network, Logan?" Molly asked once they were all gathered.

"Once 'r twice," he admitted. "Not my favorite experience."

"It's the fastest way to get there," she apologized. "Not the only one, but . . . ."

He surrendered. "Don't worry 'bout it. Just 'cuz I don't like doin' it doesn't mean I won't. Sooner we get there, th' sooner this is over."

"You make it sound like a punishment." She laughed.

"It ain't?" He smirked.

"Get going." She pointed him to the fireplace with the floo powder sitting on the mantle.

A few minutes later, all seven of them were standing in the entry to Diagon Alley and Molly began handing out marching orders. "Okay. First stop for the five of you is Madame Malkin's to be fitted for your school robes. You will go in together and you will stay together. Not one of you is to leave until all five of you have been fitted."

The last was directed pointedly towards Alex and Chris, but she wasn't finished. "When you have ALL finished, you will join Logan and me at Quill's Clothing for Toddlers to Teens. There will be NO detours. Alex and Chris, you're not to even darken the door of Gambol & Japes until you've completed ALL of your school shopping. Understood?"

The two snapped to attention and saluted sharply.

Molly rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide a mother's all-suffering smile. "Stop it, you two. You're making a scene."

Once the others were ensconced in the robe shop, behind a handful of other students, Molly took Logan to the nearby clothing shop.

"Alex an' Chris 'r quite a pair," Logan offered.

"They can be a handful," she admitted affectionately, "but they're good boys all of our children are good decent kids. The twins are a little too adventurous, but I wouldn't have them any other way. I just wish Rachel didn't try so hard to emulate them. I swear, sometimes I think that child wishes she was born a boy."

She changed the subject. "I know your parents left you a lot of money, Logan. Do you have enough on you, or do we need to visit your family vault again?"

Logan had emptied the main compartment of the backpack to hold his new purchases, but left the others filled with coins. He opened the largest of them to show Molly the guilders.

"Th' other pockets got sickles and knuts. Pretty sure I have enough . . . unless ya expect me t' buy out th' flamin' store."

"I saw how few clothes you have," she told him, virtually pulling him through the door of the store. "We'll be buying you at least six more of everything; double that of undergarments. Traveling light may have been good practice before, but you're not on the run any longer. Time you had a real wardrobe."

She pulled the first of a series of pants down from a rack and held them up against him. "Boys your age grow like weeds. We'll get your shirts, pants and shoes a size larger and I'll hem the pants up at home. Give you some leeway to grow into them."

First she tried to get him to try on some slacks, but he was having nothing to do with it. "I wear jeans. They last longer. More durable. These flimsy things wouldn't last me a week."

"Hogwash." She was adamant. "We'll get you several pairs of your jeans, but I want you to have at least two or three pairs of nicer pants. Never know when you'll need them."

He sighed and let her have her way. It wasn't like had any choice. The woman was a force of nature when it came to taking care of her kids . . . something he realized suddenly she now considered him one of. It was a weird feeling, but one that felt surprisingly good.

By the time the Summers kids joined them, Logan had eight pairs of pants, including two pairs of slacks; more undergarments than he'd ever owned at one time in his life, possibly even all together; a dozen shirts, including a few he chose himself with moving decals of various magical animals on them; several sets of pajamas, three new pairs of shoes, even a new belt and a new robe. The magically enlarged compartment of his backpack was getting stretched to its limits.

Now it was time for him to observe as Molly's attention fell on her natural born children. At one point, Logan saw Scott looking longingly at a shirt advertising the Cannons. He noted his new friend didn't even ask his mother if he could get the shirt and figured that buying school clothes and supplies for five kids didn't leave a lot of wiggle room in the family budget.

Shrugging, he grabbed one of the shirts in what he figured was Scott's size and bought it, then offered it to the tall boy. "This is for you . . . reward for giving up half your room."

"There's no need for you to do that, Logan," Mrs. Summers insisted.

Logan just smiled. "A friend th' other day told me that if ya hadta do it, it wasn't a gift. Please, Mrs. Summers, let me do it. I already bought th' thing an' I ain't gonna wear it. 'Sides, ain't like I'm short o' money. If I thought ya'd let me, I'd offer t' buy everyone's school supplies. Since I know ya won't, please let me buy this."

Molly frowned and sighed, and looked like she was going to turn him down, but eventually acquiesced. "Thank him, Scotty."

"Thanks, Logan," Scott said. "This is really cool."

Logan shrugged. "Y'r welcome. Ain't much, but I'm glad ya like it."

Next stop for everyone was Ollivander's where the younger twins were fitted with wands. It was there that Molly let Logan in on a secret.

"Professor Dumbledore insisted on Hogwarts paying for our children's' school supplies since we're having you stay with us for a month. I told him it wasn't necessary, but he insisted. Don't feel you have to reimburse us for anything. It's all covered and we wouldn't do anything different if it wasn't."

That actually set Logan's mind at ease. He noted that he needed to thank the headmaster for taking care of that, but had no idea he'd be seeing the man quite so soon.

It was also at Ollivander's, as they were about to leave that Logan actually ran into someone he knew. They were heading towards the door as a small built girl with very curly brown hair came in with a couple Logan knew to be her parents although they hadn't met.

"Kitty?" He asked in shock. "What 'r you doin' here? Thought you were still livin' in Hong Kong."

"Logan?" Kitty ran up and hugged her friend. "My father was transferred back to London from the Hong Kong office. I'm starting at Hogwarts in September. What are you doing?"

"That's wild." He laughed. "I'm headin' t' Hogwarts too. Got my school stuff yesterday, but I'm stayin' with th' Summers family f'r th' next month. They're here gettin' their stuff and I kinda tagged along."

"I don't believe it." She put her fists on her hips. "The ultimate vagabond is finally going to settle down? Never thought I'd see it."

"Gotta happen sometime," he shrugged, then turned to Molly. "Mrs. Summers, this is Kitty Pryde. We met in Japan a few years ago."

Introductions were made all around, but Kitty's parents were particularly interested in Logan.

Her father shook Logan's hand vigorously. "We never had the chance to thank you for rescuing out daughter and bringing her back to us. We'll never be able to repay you."

Logan blushed a little. "I was savin' myself, mostly. Wasn't like I was gonna leave her there. 'Sides it was my godfather, Remy, who rescued us both."

Several minutes later, they parted ways with the Pryde family amidst promises between Logan and Kitty to get together on the train to Hogwarts and get caught up on each other's lives. As they left, Logan failed to notice that Molly held back for a moment to talk with the other family. She was back with them before he realized it.

"So, Logan," she said, hoping to learn more about his past. "How did you and Kitty meet?"

Logan wasn't sure he wanted to talk about it, but didn't want to hurt Molly's feelings. "Ya really wanna know? It ain't a very nice story."

Her expression answered his question. "I was livin' in Japan. Lived there a year. Longest I stayed anywhere th' whole five years I was travelin'. There's this group there. They call themselves th' Hand. Believe it 'r not, they're an ancient cult o' ninjas. I got nabbed by 'em an' when I woke up, I was bein' held with this girl 'bout my same age."

He paused at the painful memory. "Seems they found this ritual where they could put th' souls o' their founders, a couple name o' Ogun an' Yukio, into th' bodies o' two innocents an' they decided we were th' perfect vessels. Th' cult leader, Matsu'o Tsurayaba, said they'd been waitin' centuries f'r us."

He got back to the subject. "Kitty an' her folks were livin' in Hong Kong. They were visitin' Tokyo when the cult took her. They did their ritual an' we were possessed by these two spirits. They're control over me wasn't quite as strong as they thought it was. I managed t' get a message t' Gambit. If he hadn't rescued us, we'd still be there."

He shook his head. "More like they'd still be there in our bodies. Don't know where we'd be 'r even if we'd still be alive. Kitty was helpless an' I was slippin' fast. Anyway, Gambit, his friend, Mooney, an' Mooney's girlfriend, Topaz, did a ritual o' their own an' freed us. Ogun an' Yukio were banished, but Kitty an' I could still do all th' stuff they could. We also inherited th' ancient swords that usedta belong to 'em."

Molly and the kids looked on in shock as Logan finished. "I c'n still remember stuff that Ogun did. It's kinda freaky. Sometimes I'm not even sure where his memories end an' mine begin. Anyway, I dealt with it. So did Kitty. After we were free, we made sure she got back with her folks. Haven't seen her since . . . 'till just now."

"Child," Molly said impetuously hugging Logan, "it's a wonder you came out as sweet and decent as you did."

"Ain't all that sweet or decent," Logan scoffed uncomfortably.

Having reached a shop called Latimer's Luggage Emporium, they entered to buy school trunks for Scott and Rachel.

"You should get one, too, Logan," Mrs. Summers suggested. "You shouldn't be living out of a . . . what did you call it, a duffle bag and a backpack."

Logan sighed and began strolling through the shop as the others made their purchases. Eventually, he came upon an ancient looking suitcase that caught his attention. It was different from just about everything else in the store, which was all new; a regular one of a kind. Looking inside, he discovered it was cavernous. He'd lived in smaller houses; and quite comfortably.

"Good choice," the clerk told him, approaching from off to the side. "A bit expensive, but it has an interesting history. Let me show you."

The clerk closed the lid, tapped on it and did some kind of subtle gesture, then opened it. Inside was now a normal suitcase. He repeated the process a little differently and opened it again to show the cavernous interior Logan had seen before.

"How much?" He asked.

"Twelve Guilders. There are even additional chambers off the main one you see. It's its own world in there; a pocket dimension."

Logan blinked. The trunk wasn't just expensive, it was exorbitant. "Give ya ten."

Now it was the clerk's turn to blink. Apparently he worked on commission. "Let me talk to the owner."

Ten minutes later, they left the shop; Scott and Rachel with their new trunks and Logan with his antique suitcase. Considering that the exterior wasn't in the best shape, he remembered that there was a repair & refurbishing shop on one of the cul-de-sacs off the main thoroughfare. He remembered seeing the sign advertising it when he was there with Peter.

"I'll meet you guys at Fortescue's," Logan told the others. "I have an errand t' run."

With that and without waiting for permission, he slipped away in the crowd, which was larger than normal due to a pre-school year sale many of the stores had going on. He made his way quickly to the shop where an elderly looking gnome sat behind the counter working on re-stitching an old pair of shoes.

"Can I help you, young man?" The gnome put the shoes aside."

"I wanna get this old suitcase resurfaced." Logan put the case on the counter.

The gnome smiled wistfully. "Now, it's been an age since I've seen one of these old things. A family heirloom?"

"No," Logan told him. "I saw it in th' luggage shop up th' road an' just bought it. C'n ya resurface th' outside without messin' with th' enchantments on it?"

"Of course I can." The gnome seemed almost insulted. "I have some dragon skin from a Hebridean Black. It's expensive, but not as expensive as that case had to be and it wears forever. It's also armored."

The gnome showed him the hide in question. It didn't look too ostentatious and he liked the armored quality, so he went with it, but turned down the gold bindings preferring to go with burnished steel.

He put two guilders on the counter. "How soon can you have it finished? I don't want to rush it, but I need it before school starts in September."

The coins vanished. "Give me two weeks and I'll give you a work of art you'd be proud to take anywhere. Would you like it embossed with your name?"

Logan nodded. "Logan Potter."

The gnome almost choked. "Logan . . . Potter . . . ."

Then he saw the scar on Logan's forehead. "Of course you are. I should have realized. My apologies, Mr. Potter. I assure you, I'll do my very best work . . . . Yes, nothing but the best for the boy who slew the Dark Lord. As honored as you are among the humans, you are even more revered among the gnomes. You-know-who would have wiped us out if you hadn't stopped him."

He paused, then got back to business. "Where do you want your name embossed?"

Logan considered, remembering where Gambit had his name on some of his luggage. "Near th' handle an' small. C'n ya have it delivered t' this address in Ottery St Catchpole when it's finished?"

The gnome nodded, noting down the address of the Summers home Logan gave him. "I'll deliver it personally, it will be my pleasure."

They wound up not getting back home until three that afternoon. Halfway through the process, Logan insisted on buying everyone lunch. Mrs. Summers didn't want to let him, but he insisted.

That night Logan got to meet Philip Summers, the patriarch of this brood. He was a man of medium build with a presence that outstripped his size. He had a mop of bright red hair like all of his offspring and a well-groomed mustache that made him look just rakish enough. He was wearing a leather jacket and lifted his wife into the air, twirling her around while the kids complained and Molly feigned resistance while obviously loving it.

The next morning, the Scott and Rachel volunteered to take Logan on a tour of the neighborhood. Molly told them to just be home by lunch. Again, Logan missed the significance of the exchange. It would only be that afternoon, after the fact, that he realized all the hints.

There were a lot of things Logan would have preferred to be doing, but he did enjoy the company of his new friends, so he wasn't complaining. When they returned home, Scott and Rachel held back, making sure he was the first one through the door when everyone inside yelled "surprise". Logan had completely forgotten that it was July 31st, his eleventh birthday.

Professor Xavier was there with Mr. Rasputin and a blonde toddler who shyly peaked out from behind her father's massive leg. Kitty and her parents were there as well. The whole kitchen and living room was decked out for a birthday party. There were several presents on one table and a large cake on the kitchen table. The biggest surprise and greatest gift Logan could receive, however, was leaning against a door jamb in all his casual glory. His godfather, Gambit, had showed up, along with Mooney and Topaz.

Ignoring all the others for the moment, Logan ran up and hugged Remy fiercely. There were no words. There rarely were between this pair. There didn't need to be. Only once he'd hugged the tall rogue did Logan turn to the others.

"Thanks, everyone. Ya shouldn't have, but thanks."

"Why shouldn't we have, Logan?" Xavier asked serenely. "No child's birthday should pass without notice and I'm told you've missed far too many of them."

"They tell me my first birthday was pretty special," Logan admitted.

"That it was," Xavier told him. "I was there. You received several gifts, but the only one you seemed to want to play with was the "My First Broom" that Gambit gave you."

Logan frowned angrily. "Th' damned Dursleys didn't even want me t' know when my flamin' birthday was. Not like they wanted t' celebrate it 'r even mention it. Th' less they had t' do with me, th' happier they were."

He paused and actually smiled just a little. "Th' first birthday I actually remember was my seventh. We were in New Orleans. Gambit, Mooney an' Topaz found me a few weeks earlier. It was just th' four o' us, but it was pretty special t' me."

His mood darkened again. "My eighth birthday, I was alone, on th' road t' Calgary. Th' Death Eaters attacked us in Dallas an' we hadta split up. I headed north, while they tried t' draw attention away from me."

He paused. "My ninth birthday, I was possessed by Ogun an' we figured out how th' Death Eaters kept trackin' us shortly before my tenth, so I was on my own again. Think I was in Athens."

"Dat all be behind ya now, wolfling," Remy promised, hugging his godson again. "Leave it dere. Hogwarts be a new start for ya, non? Make de most of it."

Logan sighed. "I'll try, Gambit, I'll try."

"Well, den," Gambit's whole mood changed from serious to flamboyant in an instant. "Let's get dis party started."

Logan wanted to spend time with Gambit and the others, but Scott, Kitty and Rachel dragged him away to teach him all of the party games they knew. Chris and Alex were quickly dragged into it. Only Nathan, who felt it was beneath his dignity and age, refused. Logan had to admit that the six of them had a lot of fun. The games were simple, but burned a lot of energy.

Meanwhile, on the porch overlooking the backyard, Remy nursed a drink and watched, obviously elated to see his godson finally free to just be a kid. Early on, Kitty's parents joined him and they spent nearly an hour talking quietly and seriously. At one point, as he waited his turn in the game they were playing, Logan even noted Mrs. Pryde hug the tall rogue. He figured they were talking about Japan.

After several games, lunch was served, followed by cake and the opening of presents. The Summers clan bought him a new leather jacket to replace the one he had, which was well beyond its prime and even getting beyond repair. He noted that it was a smaller, newer version of the one Mr. Summers wore.

Professor Xavier gave him some books. "They're not required reading, but should help you catch up and keep up with the other students. I know you will make the best use of them."

"Thanks," he told the man. "I'll read 'em before school starts."

Xavier nodded. "Of that I have little doubt. Since books make for a poor birthday present even for one who enjoys reading, however, I do have a second gift for you. It belonged to your father."

The Headmaster produced a flat rectangular box bound with a simple ribbon. It was extremely light in Logan's hands and when he opened it, he found a cloak of cloth as fine as gossamer thread.

"An invisibility cloak." He recognized it and draped it over his shoulders. "Finer than any I ever saw, too. There ain't even a fringe when I move. Thanks, Professor."

"Use it responsibly," Xavier advised.

Kitty and her parents gave him a wooden sword mount shaped like a pair of antlers. "My dad used a shaping charm to mold it to be just like the one I have."

Topaz, whose real name was Nymphadora Tonks, gave him a matching gloves, cap and scarf set in the Gryffindor colors. "It can get as cold as an Inquisitor's heart at Hogwarts during the winter. They'll come in handy. They're even enchanted to grow as you do and have special warming charms on them."

He hugged her, but had a question. "What if I don't wind up in Gryffindor? My parents an' all you guys bein' there don't guarantee I will."

She had that covered. "They'll change color to match your house if necessary, but I don't think they'll need to. If any kid alive is Gryffindor material, Logan, you are."

Mooney gave him a book on potions and alchemy. "The Potions teacher at Hogwarts is Emma Frost. She's strict, Slytherin to the bone and doesn't like Gryffindors. She had a crush on your father and was enraged that he would choose your mother, who she considered a mudblood despite the fact that Lily had the best grades in the class, over her. She isn't unfair, but she can be brutal. Don't ever go into her class unprepared. I included some personal notes in there that will give you a leg up on the rest of the class."

He grinned conspiratorially at Logan, but with an eye on Xavier. "There's something special in there as well. I'll tell you all about it when there are fewer prying ears. Heaven forbid that word reach the Headmaster. He'd have a cow."

Xavier cleared his throat knowingly. "If this surprise is what I think it is, I'd trust in in Logan's hands far more than I trusted it with the four of you."

Mooney blinked. "You knew about the Marauder Map? Why didn't you confiscate it?"

Xavier smiled. "If I had, you'd only have found another way to get in trouble, at least the map was moderately innocuous."

The Summers kids each got him something small and cheap, but it was the thought that counted. It was Remy's gift, however, that blew Logan's mind. Gambit got him a broom; a new one; one like he had never seen before; one obviously built for speed and performance.

"It's what dey call a preproduction model," he told Logan. "De LeBeau clan, we own de company dat makes most o' de best brooms. Dey call dis one de Firebolt. Ain't even comin' on de market f'r two more years. Dis year dey released de Nimbus 2000. Next year's model be de Nimbus 2001. Dis beast gonna blow de bristles off o' both of 'em . . . an' anyt'ing else out dere."

All of the kids, particularly Scott, were in awe of the broom, but Xavier had an admonishment. "Enjoy the gift, Logan, but remember that First Years aren't allowed to have their own brooms. You can still enjoy it the rest of the summer and over the holidays, of course. I'm sure the Molly and Philip will be happy to store it for you until your second year."

That was the only even slightly down note of the day, however, so Logan didn't mind much. He had no intention of obeying, of course, but he wasn't going to announce it to the adults. Instead, he thanked everyone for their gifts and they moved on with the party. Presents were followed by more games and hanging out, then the day was topped off with dinner. It was the best day Logan could remember ever having.

The next morning, Logan was feeling a little cabin fever. He wasn't used to having so many people around all the time. He needed some air.

"I wanna go out an' do some flying," he told Mrs. Summers. "Break in my new broom. I kinda need some time t' myself. Not usedta so many people. I'll be back by lunch."

She agreed, albeit reluctantly, but as soon as he was gone, she turned to Nathan. "Go out and find the aurors keeping an eye on the house. Let them know what Logan's up to. Tell them to let him have his solitude, but to keep an eye on him from a distance. I don't want them to crowd the boy, but we don't want him out by himself, either. I don't want to scare the kids, but some strangers were seen in town yesterday. Chief Auror Fury thinks they could have been Death Eaters."

Nathan nodded and jogged out to do as he was told; proud that his mother trusted him enough and considered him mature enough to entrust with this information and responsibility. As soon as he was clear of the yard, he broke into a run and headed up the hill to the nearby house overlooking the Burrow and currently shared by no fewer than three aurors at a time. At the moment the group was led by Sean Cassidy. With him were Frank Castle and Valerie Cooper.

"Castle," Sean ordered as soon as Nathan told them what his mother asked him to say. "You're a covert specialist. Keep an eye on the boy. Stay out of sight and use a scent masking charm. The boy's senses are off the scale."

"I know how to do my job, Cassidy," the grizzled auror balked. "I'll keep an eye on him and call if there's any trouble."

By the time Frank Castle was in the air, Logan was just a spot on the horizon, having covered nearly a mile in a matter of just over a minute and just getting started. Suddenly, the boy was in trouble. The broom bucked, then fell, then recovered, but seemed to be being pulled down. Even as he called back to alert the others, Castle rocketed ahead, hoping he wouldn't be too late.

Struggling to get back control of the broom, Logan spotted three men standing in the small clearing he was being pulled towards. One was a heavy set man he didn't recognize. The man with purple skin he knew by reputation to be named Jedidiah Wyngarde who was supposed to have some kind of pheromonal mind control powers. Their green skinned companion, Logan had encountered before and even lived with for a month; the man he knew only as Wilkes.

"Secure him, Harry," Wyngarde told the heavy set man. "He's resistant to magic, but not even that curse mark can protect him against both me and Wilkes."

"I can't affect him," the man Logan realized was probably Wyngarde's partner in crime, Harry Leland, told them. "But I can affect his broom and pin him beneath it."

They obviously underestimated the range of his hearing. Timing things just right, Logan leaped off of his broom at the last instant and landed feet first on the man he'd identified as Leland. The heavy set man went down hard.

"So much f'r that idea, fat man." Having intended to find a quiet place to do some exercises, Logan had his sword on his back and quickly drew it, turning on the two remaining Death Eaters. "Looks like y'r li'l plan is blown, guys. Can't figure why y'r suddenly tryin' t' control me when ya been tryin' t' kill me my whole life. Didn't ya realize that ain't gonna work after last time, Wilkes?"

The two looked at each other for an instant, then started throwing offensive spells as fast as they could. Contrary to Logan's bluster, he wasn't immune to magic, just resistant. Damaging spells still hurt. Some of them hurt a lot. Against two fully trained adult wizards, he wasn't going to last long no matter how resistant he was.

Fortunately, he wouldn't have to. As Logan did his best to dodge the initial barrage and was looking for a way out of this predicament, Frank Castle came roaring out of the sky on his broom, firing staccato bursts of concentrated force from his hands, forcing Logan's attackers to scatter. One bolt pierced Wilkes' shoulder, throwing him back with hydrostatic force. Given an opening, Logan dived for cover and let the adults fight it out. Hopefully his rescuer had reinforcements on the way or could at least hold his own.

"Stop!" Wyngarde yelled, trying to use his powers on the auror. "Surrender!"

Castle had a lot of years of experience fighting Death Eaters. Since his wife and children were killed in a magical crossfire during the war against Voldemort, there was nothing in life that gave him even a slight sense of pleasure besides killing the people he held responsible. This gave him some resistance to Wyngarde's powers. Training in Occlumency, the magical art of shielding the mind against outside influence, did the rest.

Seeing one auror jump off his broom and roll to his feet, and noting two more coming in like the wrath of God, the trio barely maintained enough presence of mind to apparate away from the scene. They realized the brat's defenders wouldn't let him out of their sight again until he was safely at Hogwarts. That would put a kink in their plans, but at least they would live to fight another day.

As the rest of the aurors landed, Logan came out from the cover he had taken. If they expected him to be grateful for the rescue, they were in for an unpleasant surprise. He wasn't grateful, he was livid. He felt betrayed. Worse, he felt like a fool for letting his guard down so badly.

"Why didn't ya tell me Death Eaters were watchin' th' Burrow?" He yelled accusingly at the trio as he returned the fortunately unused blade to its scabbard. "I thought I was s'posed t' be safe here an' ya let me fly blind an' ignorant right into a flamin' ambush. I knew I shouldn'ta trusted you idiots."

Instead of arguing with the boy, defending himself or trying to calm him down, Cassidy just sighed. "Let's be takin' this argument back t' th' house. Those brigands may be gone, but I'm feelin' a wee bit exposed out here."

As much as he didn't want to agree with anything these people, aurors by the look of them, had to say, Logan couldn't exactly argue with that. Without a word, he jumped on his broom and rocketed back to the house. He was going to have some pointed words with several adults, not the least of which was Professor Xavier.

Arriving back at the house well ahead of the aurors trailing him, Logan didn't quite kick the rear door in, but neither was he gently.

"Logan," Molly was next to him in an instant, trying to calm him down, but he wasn't in the mood to be calm. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Did you know?" The hurt in his voice was painful to her. "Did ya know there were Death Eaters watchin' th' place?"

She didn't even try to lie to him. "Some strangers were seen in town yesterday while we were at Diagon Alley. We suspected they could be, but didn't know anything for certain. We didn't tell you because we didn't want to ruin your birthday."

"I can't protect myself if I don't know what's out there." He wanted to scream.

"That's bein' our job, lad." Cassidy and the others were at the back door.

"Y'r sure doin' a bang up job o' that!" Finally someone he could vent his pent up frustration at.

"Y'r alive aren't ye?" Cassidy countered. "An' y'r unhurt. I'd say we did our jobs pretty well?"

As much as he wanted to, Logan couldn't argue with that. He wasn't sure who he was madder at, them for keeping him in the dark, Xavier, who had to have agreed to it, Gambit, who had to have known about it, or himself for letting the Death Eaters catch him in the first place. If anything, there was a wealth of targets for his ire.

"Did you recognize any of them?" Cooper asked, changing the subject before it could blow up even worse.

"Wyngarde, Leland and Wilkes," Logan told them on no uncertain terms. "I dealt with Wilkes before an' recognized Wyngarde by rep. Where Wyngarde goes, Leland ain't far behind. Never met either of 'em before, but they match descriptions an' powers."

"Wait a minute," Castle said. "The powers were similar, but I know all three of those cretins. None of those men had green or purple skin."

Logan sighed realizing what must have been going on. "Yeah, they did. Ya just couldn't see through th' glamors they must've had up. My resistance let me get past th' illusion. Didn't even know it was there 'till just now."

Cooper sighed. "Wilkes is still wanted by the Ministry, but I'll bet knuts to wands that the other two have no fewer than a dozen unimpeachable witnesses that they were on the other side of London the whole day. They didn't last this long by being careless and a dozen adults against one boy . . . . The Ministry won't even consider that worth investigating."

Part of Logan honestly believed that groups like the Ministry and the Congress of Magic in the US existed only to screw up the lives of normal people and protect criminals like the Death Eaters. On the other hand, however, he had to admit that the world would be a whole lot worse off without them.

"Next time," he told all the adults present finally, "don't keep me in th' dark. I'm still my own best protection an' I can't do it if I don't know what's goin' on. I still think I'd be safer in a big city like London with Gambit an' th' others. Lot's o' places t' hide in big cities. Not so much out here."

"After this, we'll be increasin' your protection, boyo," Sean announced. "From now on, 'till ye board that train, we'll be puttin' even more folks at the other house an' havin' at least one additional person we can trust inside here twenty four seven. Ye leave here, ye're gonna be havin' a lotta company. We'll try t' give ye as much space as we can, but we're not lettin' ye outta our sight again."

Logan was still considering loading everything he owned in his backpack and duffle bag, jumping on his new broom and not stopping until he was in London. There was even a hidden pocket in the pack where he could store the broom once he got there. Problem was, after less than two days, he was starting to really like life here. It was calm and yet anything but boring. It was in short normal; something he'd had precious little of in his short life.

He still wasn't happy with what happened; blaming himself more than anyone else, but he figured he could give the accommodations one more chance. When Gambit and company showed up less than an hour later loaded with luggage and bags of food they had to apparate several times to bring in, he was glad for the decision.

"With your and Philip's permission, Molly," Topaz told Mrs. Summers when they first arrived, "we'd like to stay here until school starts. The aurors are all well and good, but they don't know Logan and he doesn't know them. We agree he'll be safer with familiar faces around him. It'll also keep the Ministry from stationing a man here. Most of them mean well, particularly the aurors, but none of us trust Fudge."

"It won't be all that much tighter than it was when we had all seven kids at home, Nymphadora," Molly said, immediately warming to the idea. "If you don't mind, you can room with Rachel. It's a small room, so we'll have to transfigure her bed into a bunk bed, but it should work short term. "Remy and Jack can share the guest room. It's been empty since Charlie moved to Bulgaria."

That settled the matter, but that night found Logan out on the back porch again. This time, it was Gambit who came out to sit with him. The lanky rogue didn't say anything, he just sat silently on the steps next to his pajama and robe clad godson. Silence reigned for several moments.

"I screwed up, Gambit," Logan said finally, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Ya did nothin' o' th' sort," Remy insisted.

"Wasn't payin' attention t' th' world 'round me," Logan insisted. "Flew right into an ambush like an amateur. Less 'n three days here an' I'm already getting' lax an' lazy."

"Good," the man insisted adamantly. "Ya shouldn't haveta have de guard up all de time. Kids don' worry 'bout dat an' shouldn't. Dat's our job."

"Ya always taught me I was my best defense," the boy countered.

"Dat was den, wolfling." Remy looked down, his gaze a mix of regret and love. "Dis is now. Ya ain't on de run no more. Y'r safe here. Let th' adults worry 'bout de Death Eaters an' de Inquisition. F'r one in ya life ya got a chance t' just be a kid. Ya earned it. Enjoy it, non?"

"Th' Inquisition?" Logan started with fear. "Don't tell me they're on my tail again, too."

Remy gestured and smiled to calm the boy. "Dey ain't been spotted nowhere near here. We just 'spect dat de Death Eaters been tippin' 'em off; usin' 'em t' their advantage. Dey don' care who kills ya, long as ya wind up dead. Ain't no other way de Inquisitors caught up wit' us so many times wit'out magical help. Dey good, but dey ain't dat good."

That reminded Logan of something. "If they still just want me dead, why send two mind control experts t' nab me. Wyngarde, Wilkes an' Leland were lookin' t' capture me, not kill me. Why th' change?"

Remy frowned. "Don' know, Logan. Don' know an' t'ink we better find out an' soon. Dey're too dangerous for us t' not be knowin' what dey up to. What do dey get outta controllin' you dat dey don' get wit' you bein' dead? Don' make sense an' I don't like it when t'ings don' make sense."

He paused. "T'ink I best be talkin' t' Xavier t'morrow. See if he has any ideas. Only t'ing I c'n t'ink of dat's changed is you headin' t' Hogwarts now, but how could dey know dat?"

Logan slapped his forehead. "When I was getting fitted f'r my school robes, I ran into Malfoy's son, Draco. We had a li'l dust up an' I told him t' ask his old man 'bout th' kid who whupped his butt. I was boastin'. Even popped my claws. Why'd my goin' t' Hogwarts change their plans, 'less they thought they could use me as some kinda agent t' get somethin they wanted done inside."

Remy looked out into the night. "Don' know, wolfling. Why take de risk? Don' make sense. Mebbe de Professor have a better idea."

"Sorry, Gambit." Logan sighed. "I was showin' off. Th' brat pushed my buttons an' I let him."

"Don' be beatin' y'rself up over it, kid," Gambit advised. "Was only a matter o' time 'till dey figured it out, non? 'Sides, dey failed. Didja least put a hurtin' on de boy?"

"I embarrassed him real good." Logan smiled viciously. "He's fast, but overconfident. Caught him by surprise, clotheslined him an' pinned him t' th' floor while I put his dad down."

Remy ruffled Logan's hair. "Dat's m' boy."

 **Writer's Notes:**

 **I figured wizarding families had to go shopping for normal clothes and wouldn't be likely to hang out at malls with muggles, so I added some shops to Diagon Alley, like the one where Logan got his guitar. That's where Quill's Clothing for Toddlers to Teens and Latimer's Luggage Emporium and the repair shop were all born.**

 **Given that Philip Summers in Marvel was a bush pilot, I gave him a similar job for the Ministry. He's a little more vigorous than Arthur Weasley, a trait that all of his children have inherited to varying degrees. I thought of flying carpets and wondered why they were never introduced in the Potter books, so I put them in here.**

 **As I said last chapter, Logan and Kitty have a special bond; one I intend to explore in future chapters. I merged bits and pieces from several stories to create their back story. Matsu'o Tsurayaba is a Hand lieutenant who was responsible for killing Logan's love, Mariko Yashida. Thereafter, Logan visited him every year on the anniversary and cut off a different part of his body. Yukio in Marvel is a modern day friend of Wolvie's. Of course, Ogun in the comics was an old master of Logan's from the past who possessed Kitty to get a second shot at life.**

 **I haven't decided if the suitcase in this chapter is the same one from Fantastic Beasts, or just a similar model. I just thought the idea was interesting and decided to use it. I could see a dozen ways Logan would find such an item useful. I figured the exterior of such an old piece would have been a little worse for wear, while the magic on the interior would help preserve it.**

 **While I kept Molly Summers fairly close to Molly Weasley, as stated above, I decided to make Philip Summers a lot more masculine and virile than Arthur Weasley appeared to be, at least on the outside. This is in conjunction with his career as a flying carpet pilot and bonded courier. I always thought Arthur was a bit too mild mannered to manage a brood like the Weasley kids. I wanted to make Philip more of a role model befitting the altered personalities of his offspring.**

 **I wanted to feature Logan's birthday and use it to introduce Gambit, Topaz and Mooney. I figured that once Logan settled in, they wouldn't be long showing up. I also wanted to develop his relationships with Xavier, Peter and Kitty a little more and this gave me the chance to do all of it. It also gives a little more insight into the boy's history and why he's the way he is. He's definitely going to be a challenge to the teachers and staff at Hogwarts when he gets there.**

 **I moved up the presentation of the invisibility cloak, Marauder's map and Firebolt, even skipping over the Nimbus 2000. All three are going to have roles to play in this story, so better he start with them than get them piecemeal. The birthday party gave me a chance to do that. The elder twins will still get their hands on it and use it for all kinds of mischief, of course. Logan will be happy to share.**

 **The last section is to contrast Logan's real life experience with the illusion of normalcy he's finding at the Summers home. No matter how peaceful things may seem, there are still at least two groups out there who want the boy dead. Even when he gets to Hogwarts there will be enemies who will try to test the barriers. Logan has very good reasons for his caution and paranoia.**

 **I decided to highlight three aurors in the scene. Sean Cassidy should be immediately recognizable, as should Valerie Cooper to most X-Fans. Frank Castle, of course, is the Punisher. Sean is in the place of Kingsley Shacklebolt and Castle is in the place of John Dawlish. Val Cooper is in the place of an auror of unknown sex who was mentioned once in Half Blood Prince and had the last name Proudfoot.**

 **The Death Eaters are Wilkes (Mesmero), who Logan ran into years earlier, and Crabbe and Leland Sr. (Purple Man & the Hellfire Club's Harry Leland). In the latter cases, their names are Jedidiah Wyngarde (father of Jason Wyngarde) and Harry Leland (father of Fred "Duke" Leland). The sons, of course, are my versions of Draco Malfoy's lackey's, Crabbe and Leland, as played by Mastermind and Blob.**


End file.
